DIY Mondays: Glass Jar Suncatcher

Ahh, spring. I don’t think anything can beat the feeling of walking out of your house without a jacket for the first time in 6 months. Here in Minnesota we always act like this is the first springtime we’ve ever experienced – as soon as the temperature goes above freezing, people flock to the outdoors, some wearing much less clothing than what would normally be appropriate in 40 degree weather. To celebrate the newfound warmth, I’ve decided to post a quick and easy DIY project that will get you in the mood for the coming months. These look best if you put a few of them next to each other. All you need for this are:

– highlighters or water-soluble markers

– scissors/knife/Exacto

– pliers

– paper towels

– clear jars or bottles with lids (if you don’t have fancy little jars like the ones pictured, anything will work as long as it has a lid)

– water

Fill the jars or bottles most of the way full with water and set aside. Now the fun part: take apart the markers by removing one of the ends. I recommend using a pair of pliers for this as the endcaps can be tricky. I also recommend having some paper towels handy, as you are dealing with markers. Remove the inky tubes inside and place on the paper towel. Depending on the size of the jar, you may need to cut the tubes to fit. Place the tubes in the desired jars (one color per jar unless you’re feeling adventurous) and wait. In a few seconds, you’ll see delightful little swirls of color soming from the ends of the tubes. This is exactly what we want to happen. Cap the jars and lt them sit for a day or two, swirling periodically to mix the color. After a day or two, remove the tubes if you like (I chose to leave mine in but it’s not necessary) and sit on a sunny windowsill. Voila – instant suncatchers!

** Bonus points: wrap wire or string around the tops of the jars securely and hang them in front of a window (again, securely – you do NOT want these to fall and open up) for a fancy hanging suncatcher!